I wonder if there are any other words like foupe that can only be applied to animals not to humans? I have in mind the German distinction between "essen" and "fressen", the latter being the word for to eat applicable to animals only. I guess there are all the usual technical collective nouns like pride, herd, school, etc. Apart from that, anyone got any ideas? Many of them might be dysphemistic expressions for sexual intercourse, eg "rutting".

My grandparents insisted that only horses sweat, while men perspire and women glow.

>women glow

Your grandparents must have met mine. Except for the replacement at the end "ladies gently glow". I don't think ladies ever played squash or ran marathons in those days.

You're right, of course. It was "ladies", not "women." At least they made sure that I said "wimmin", the increasingly endangered pronunciation of that plural.

Well, not many humans neigh or canter, meow or purr.
I've never heard of one being lop-eared. Also, there is a word for "having wings" that of course I can't think of!

In that context it may be interesting to mention that German "Futter" is only used for animal food (even though these words have the same root). On the other hand Grzimek's animal encyclopedia uses "essen" for all animals throughout (where commonly "fressen" is used).

I've never heard of one being lop-eared.

How about Captain Jenkins? There was a war fought because his ear was lopped.

>;having wings

the biologists would say 'alar'

and, on the animalistic theme, there is blissom (he added sheepishly).

"Alate"! That's what I was looking for! Thanks, tsuwm!

In that context it may be interesting to mention that German "Futter" is only used for animal food (even though these words have the same root).

We have a similar distinction in English, come to think of it. "Food" is used for people and pets, while "feed" is used for livestock. I don't know what you'd call it if you had a pet goat or pig, though.

Well, you can always reach down in that gutter and cite 'dung' as a word not used to describe something that man has any part in creating.

And, then of course, there appears a sub-class of words that were originally intended to be applied just to animals but have been extended to denote similar behaviour (sometimes but not necessarily in an insulting sense) in humans. For instance graze to describe the act of eating small amounts regularly rather than several large meals. I suppose even words like growl might fit in this category.

having wings

Please forgive my ignorance but isn't winged, or as it is more often seen, wingèd, also a word used to decribe something having wings?

isn't winged, or as it is more often seen, wingèd, also a word used to decribe something having wings?

Confess that word is so far removed from everyday speech
that I never thought of it! Okay, okay, I don't hear the word alate either, but at least I see it in puzzles.

Confess that word is so far removed from everyday speech
that I never thought of it! Okay, okay, I don't hear the word alate either, but at least I see it in puzzles.

Was it you who said earlier that you live near the most famous racetrack in the world? (wonderfully Americocentric assumpion by the way, my mind went straight to Ascot, with Aintree a close second).
If you do live in bluegrass country, would you decribe Pegasus as alate or wingèd?

Well, the media describe the Kentucky Derby as "The
most famous two minutes in sports", and of COURSE the city
promotes Churchill Downs as the most famous racetrack in
the world. So how could I help believing all that hype I've heard and seen all my life???

ing the second time: Max, it occurs to me that you are entirely too intelligent for my good! But I maintain that hearing about "The Winged Horse" once a year on the day of the Pegasus parade (the Thursday before the Derby, which is the first Saturday in May) does NOT qualify as
"everyday speech"! I see alate more often than that!

Well, the media describe the Kentucky Derby as "The
most famous two minutes in sports", and of COURSE the city
promotes Churchill Downs as the most famous racetrack in
the world

Confession time. The sole reason for my earlier post was as a smokescreen, obfuscation inspired by the fact that I had never heard, seen, or read the word "alate" before it came up here!
Also, I must confess that it takes real effort to say "Kentucky Durby" when my Anglican tongue silently screams "Kentucky Darby"

I always thought you Anglicans went to confession!

And---what in the world is a "Darr-by"?

I always thought you Anglicans went to confession!
And---what in the world is a "Darr-by"?

Although it happens that I was christened an Anglican, I was using the word in the adjectival sense introduced to me by tsuwm. Anglican meaning in this case "of or relating to England or the English nation." Darby of course is the British pronunciation of Derby, like "clark," which is the British way of pronouncing "clerk." I wonder what would happened if Lieutenant Clark left his post as a naval clerk to go to the Derby in Darby? "Lieutenant" of course being an automatic giveaway for one's English of origin, as it were.

<word for "having wings">

and there's always 'angelic'!

wings

Some big houses have "wings" but I would hesitate to describe them as "angelic."

Or "alate", for that matter.

Of course, if, after an exemplary life, you become "a late" person, you may, perhaps, assume angelic wings.

> angelic wings

Ha! Lovely.

Does anyone know the origin of the phrase "a wing and a prayer", by extension? It conjures up (for me) a sort of 'Biggles flies undone' image - but that's doubtless just a mis-spent childhood.

I think you've hit the source, more or less. So far as I know, it originated in the First World War, describing the miraculous return to base (or at least to ground level without killing yourself) after been shot up by the opposition. Flying by the seat of your pants dates from this period as well, I believe.

Both phrases were in use during the Second World War (or Great Patriotic War, depending where you come from) and have entered peacetime flying currency, thence ordinary speech.

>I wonder if there are any other words like foupe that can only be applied to animals not to humans? <

I am wondering about 'neuter' - in a verbal sense.

Cats and dogs get neutered - whichever gender they start off.
Bullocks, I am pretty sure, get castrated.
Cows, of course, are saved by our desire to have them produce milk, but if they were to undergo the equivalent operation, what word would be used?

And for humans? Sterilised? Which, if you think about it for a moment, has a totally different meaning normally - and sounds an even more painful experience! I picture myself being boiled alive!

Cats and dogs get neutered - whichever gender they start off.
Bullocks, I am pretty sure, get castrated.

Thanks, Bridget, you've reminded me that stallions get gelded,which is not said of male humans, even though some men are castrated, either judicially, or illegally for the production of castrati, which I understand still happens in India.

Cows, - - -, but if they were to undergo the equivalent operation, what word would be used?

My female cats have been spayed. Is this an appropriate word for other animals?

I think people tend to emigrate or immigrate or transmigrate rather than just migrate, which seems to be mainly restricted to animals and birds (except as a metaphor).

Bingley

Cats and dogs get neutered - whichever gender they start off.
Bullocks, I am pretty sure, get castrated.
Cows, of course, are saved by our desire to have them produce milk, but if they were to undergo the equivalent operation, what word would be used?

And for humans? Sterilised?


"Let us not talk of this further," said Ted snippily.

>My female cats have been spayed. Is this an appropriate word for other animals?

Yes. It's definitely used for dogs.

I hope no-one is eating while they're reading this. A quote from a page titled Filth and Class from the Victorian Web ( http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/history/race/rc6.html )

One medical journal noted that the poor in Bradford "dunged" in the streets,

Bingley

My undying gratitude for this link, Bingley. I am currently wrting a course on the Victorian Temperance movement called "Drink and the Devil" and there is an excellent source on that site. Thanks again.